STEPHEN Mosley is Chester’s new MP for the Conservatives after winning nearly 19,000 votes in the General Election.

He defeated Chester’s MP of 13 years, Labour’s Christine Russell, by more than 2,500 votes to jubilant cheers from members of the Tory party.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of his victory, Mr Mosley said he was “elated, but apprehensive” about the new role.

He added: “The first thing every newly-elected member needs to get to grips with is the nation’s economy and the deficit.”

He added that Chester was an historic city which needed “a lot of love and care” but had been neglected over the last 13 years.

Mr Mosley was unaware at this stage as to whether the Conservatives would be able to form the next government.

“I have been at the count, I have no idea what’s happening outside Chester.”

Defeated Labour candidate Mrs Russell said it had been a privilege to serve the people of Chester.

She said she had many personal challenges to pursue and would like to spend more time with her grandchildren.

She told her successor: “Chester is a far better place today than it was in 1997 so please Stephen, make sure you carry on what I think has been very good work by this Labour government and accept people from all communities in Chester.”

She said she had got many personal challenges to pursue and would like to spend more time with her two grandchildren and added a third was due to arrive any day.

Lib Dem candidate Lizzie Jewkes said: “On the doorstep we got a huge response, people wanted change, people wanted to vote Lib Dem, so I was just disappointed it wasn’t delivered in the ballot box.”